Of Sorcery and Snow by Shelby Bach

“‘This quest won’t be like the others.’ That’s another thing she told us in Lena’s workshop this afternoon.”
    I might have grilled him some more, but someone was waiting for us: Lena.
    She looked so different and amazing that I wondered if she might get a second Tale tonight: “The Ugly Duckling.” Not that she was ugly, but with her glasses off and her hair up, her neck looked about a million miles long. That definitely screamed swan . Her dress was gold, and her dark skin glowed against it. It wasn’t just her outfit, though—she stood up as straight and elegant as a princess. Of course, she was biting her lip and wringing her gloved hands, which kind of spoiled the effect.
    â€œMelodie’s almost ready,” Lena told Chase, too nervous to even say hi to me, “but we can’t cast the illusion with so many people in the courtyard.”
    Chase nodded. “I’ll run inside and tell him we need that decoy he offered.”
    â€œBen went in about ten minutes ago,” Lena said, relieved. “He’s wearing seersucker.”
    Ben Taylor was the only Character in the entire Ever After School who would ever wear a seersucker suit. He was full ofdorktastic style, and weirdly enough, he’d become one of Chase’s closest friends since his Tale last spring.
    â€œGot it.” To me, Chase added, “Stay here. It’s insanity in there.”
    He opened the doors. The ballroom’s sky-blue walls were the same as usual, and so was the gilded woodwork that made the walls sparkle. The rest had been transformed.
    They’d hung seven chandeliers—golden phoenixes as big as dragons, with flames dancing across their metal feathers. The orchestra was filled with the huge metal fairy, troll, and witch dummies we usually practiced on in training. I’m pretty sure that they took requests, because the lame waltzy music had given way to an instrumental version of “Brown-Eyed Girl.” On the dance floor, there were so many Characters—and so many huge frilly dresses—that I lost Chase before the doors even closed behind him.
    â€œBen said Lancer brought his speakers, so they’re all set,” Lena told me, like I knew what that meant. “Ben can do this, right? He can create a decoy that distracts the Director and gets everyone out of the courtyard.”
    â€œUm . . . sure.” I wanted that to be true, but Ben didn’t have as much experience as Chase with this sort of thing.
    Lena didn’t notice my hesitation. “I mean, he has Chatty on the M3, helping him.”
    â€œDefinitely then,” I said. Chatty was Ben’s girlfriend—a mermaid who happened to love practical jokes. They have a long-distance relationship. “Is there anything I can do?”
    â€œCross your fingers?” Lena said helplessly.
    I did, and I held them up to show her, with the most reassuring smile I could manage. But it felt weird not being part of the action. Yesterday, this had been my idea. Now it was completely out of my hands.
    Then Chase slipped out again, leaving the door open a crack so we could peek through. “Let’s see if the Director takes the bait,” he said.
    Up on the raised dais, opposite the orchestra, a row of thronelike chairs were all empty except for the Director’s. Her fingers drummed on the armrest, her eyes sweeping across the floor. We drew back a little when her gaze traveled toward us.
    â€œNot yet,” I said. “Where’s Ben?”
    â€œBeside the line of potential Cinderellas.” Chase pointed to the back, where a swooping marble staircase rose above the dance floor. Girls had lined up behind it. On a small platform at the top, an elf in a weird shirt and waistcoat announced the name of the girl who had reached the front of the line, but I couldn’t hear him from this far away. I knew without looking that they were all wearing glass